'It was like two buses hitting each other, a full-on car crash'
The gruesome moment when Lawrence Dallaglio and Paul Volley clashed heads and awkwardly played on in a 2004 Heineken Cup quarter-final has been recalled on a podcast reflecting on that year’s charge by Wasps to European glory.
Wasps went on to win that last-eight match against Gloucester on a 34-3 scoreline, but that game could have taken a different course if today’s concussion protocol was applied 19 years ago. Fellow back-rowers Dallaglio and Volley were given treatment on the pitch for their accidental clash of heads… and both were then allowed to play on.
Dallaglio has now admitted he hadn’t a clue what was going on, recalling that at half-time he wasn’t aware he had even scored in the opening half of the knockout match. The admission by the 2003 World Cup winner is contained in the final episode of Rugby Stories, the BT Sport series delving into milestone moments in the English club game.
Wasps’ run to 2004 European glory was the achievement focused on in their episode, although the recollection Dallaglio had of their quarter-final success was sketchy. “I collided heads with Paul Volley and was unconscious for a little while,” he explained.
“Phil Vickery, I noticed afterwards, went and looked at Paul Volley and took his gumshield out, looked at me and walked past me on the side of the pavement. At that point, the game was 0-0 and we had a bit of a fight on our hands just to stay on the pitch.
“In those days, if you weren’t removed from the field of play then you carried on playing. I’m not saying it was right – it wasn’t right to do that but if it is within the laws then that is what you do. I said to the doctor, ‘I’m not leaving the field because I’m fine, I’m okay’. I knew that if I left the field I wasn’t allowed to come back on again.
“There wasn’t this HIA or 10-minute concussion protocol or anything like that. And the same with Paul Volley as well. To lose one back row player at that time would have been a problem, to lose two at the same time would have been critical. It was important that we stayed on, even if it was for 10, 15 or 20 minutes.
“I was lucky enough to score a try just before half time and I do remember going down the tunnel and sitting down and half-time and I didn’t know where I was, didn’t know what the score was. I didn’t even know I had scored. That’s probably not a good indication that I should have been on the field of play.”
Tom Voyce, a Wasps teammate of Dallaglio, added: “That huge collision was just like, they were both on the floor. Obviously today this game would not allow what carried on but you have probably the hardest man in Paul Volley on the pitch and then your leader on the pitch both lying down.
“You do have a bit of a panic station because you have built up that emotion, built up a lot of that focus on these players to go out and perform and hopefully get us a win, and then you see them down. It was a worry, I reckon it was a worry throughout the whole squad. Not only just on the pitch but off the pitch. How those guys picked themselves to this day I don’t know.
“I have been sparked out in the past and you think you have been dazed but those boys properly, it was like two buses hitting each other, a full-on car crash. The fact was they got up and carried on playing, but also made the right decisions and didn’t affect the team members around them.”
Wasps scrum-half on the day, Rob Howley, said: “It must have been about two, three minutes and then thankfully two of the Wasps icons getting back up and coming back into the war. In today’s game, they would be off for a bit of concussion.”
- For the full Wasps episode, check out BT Sport’s podcast series, Rugby Stories, part of the BT Sport Pods lineup of podcasts. Rugby Stories, presented by Craig Doyle, spotlights and celebrates English club rugby history. Btsport.com/pods
Comments on RugbyPass
Did footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
34 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
34 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to comments